Prosecutor named to probe U.S. attorneys’ firings
By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press
Monday, September 29, 2008 10:41 AM PDT
WASHINGTON — Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed a prosecutor today to pursue possible criminal charges against Republicans who were involved in the controversial firings of U.S. attorneys.
His move follows the leading recommendation of a Justice Department investigation that harshly criticized Bush administration officials, members of Congress and their aides for the ousters, which were seen by many as politically motivated.
Results of the investigation were made public today.
The report singled out the removal of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias of New Mexico — among 9 prosecutors who were fired — as the most troubling.
Republican political figures in New Mexico, including Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson, had complained about Iglesias’ handling of voter fraud and public corruption cases, and that led to his firing, the report said.
Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine and Office of Professional Responsibility director Marshall Jarrett said that a prosecutor was needed because ‘‘serious allegations involving potential criminal conduct have not been fully investigated or resolved.’’
Potential crimes described in their report include lying to investigators, obstruction of justice and wire fraud.
Domenici’s spokesman did not immediately return a call today from The Associated Press and a Wilson spokesman reached this morning declined to comment immediately. Both lawmakers are leaving Congress at the end of the year.
Mukasey named Nora Dannehy, a career prosecutor, to direct the probe.
Investigators said they do not have the complete story of the firing of Iglesias, blaming it on the refusal of Domenici, former White House adviser Karl Rove, former White House counsel Harriet Miers, former Justice Department official Monica Goodling and other key witnesses still to be interviewed.
The report describes an almost total lack of involvement by former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and his deputy, Paul McNulty, in decisions to force out nine U.S. prosecutors, who are political appointees but who may not be dismissed for improper reasons.
The report described as ‘‘remarkable’’ Gonzales’ and McNulty’s apparent ignorance of the reasons for the firing of U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden of Nevada.
Gonzales ‘‘bears primary responsibility’’ for the process of firing of the prosecutors and the turmoil that followed, the report said. He ‘‘abdicated’’ his leadership role and was ‘‘remarkably unengaged,’’ it said.
But the report concluded that Gonzales’ chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, was the person most responsible for coming up with the plan to fire the prosecutors and said that Sampson’s comments to Congress, the White House and others were misleading.
